After weeks of rumors, speculations, leaked photos and parody videos, Apple’s new iPhones were finally revealed on September 10 and as widely expected, the company announced two devices – the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S.

iPhone 5c

Apple has discontinued the iPhone 5 for the iPhone 5c, which sports a 4-inch display, as well as the same A6 chip. The company has gone for the cheaper option in producing the “next generation” iPhone as it now features a plastic wraparound back which comes in five colors — green, white, blue, red, and yellow — with matching screen wallpapers to complement the exterior. The color set has been commented on as being similar to that of the Nokia Lumia series but we would leave that opinion for you to explore. Yes, after these, there is not much to say about the iPhone 5c; it even has the same 8 Megapixel camera and 2 Megapixel on the front. You might as well tag it as a “plasticky” colored version of the iPhone 5 and to be honest, when I think about iPhones sometimes, I cannot help but also ponder about the native proverb that says that only a mad man does the same thing and expects a different result.

iPhone 5s

Apple’s new flagship iPhone 5s which Apple “humbly” calls the “most forward-thinking phone anyone’s ever made,” sports a 64-bit A7 chip making it to the history books as the world’s very first 64-bit mobile phone. It’s made of high-grade aluminum and comes in silver, gold, and gray. For networking it has a dual band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 which was also available in the discontinued iPhone 5.

The general features are pretty much the same, except for the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor that grants up to 5 fingerprints to access the phone. This feature takes phone security to a whole new level. The touch sensor, located under the traditional home button also links you to your Apple account which defeats the sometimes annoying type password feature.

The iPhone 5s sticking with the 8 Megapixel camera is a letdown. However, a few changes made quite a difference compared to previous iPhones. First off, the size of the image sensor has increased which leads to a significantly higher low-light performance and somewhat better pictures; even in poor lighting conditions. More interesting is the dual-color LED flash, which monitors the prevailing light and tries to provide a better color mix by providing the right mixture of lights (like more yellow or more blue, depending on the conditions). This leads to a consistent and greater quality of photos than its predecessors. Neither the HTC One nor the Samsung Galaxy S4 has this feature so, let’s not get too hasty to conclude that the camera is “vaguely similar.”

The iPhone 5S also offers a new “burst mode” for the still camera (taking 10 shots per second), where you can hold the button down and it will take the pictures – and then present the single shot it thinks is the best from the series. (You can still choose from among the set, and keep as many as you want). There is a “slo-mo” option for video recording where you can choose which parts which can be slow and which are fast in a simple editing function.

Some people worry about how there can be a balance between the powerful 64bit A7 processor and battery life. Apple’s solution is the co-processor called the M7 which is specially designed to collect data from the phone’s various sensors, including the GPS and accelerometers. This M7 chip is suspected to be Apple’s flagship idea for a possible wearable computing future so expect to hear about it later on. The iPhone 5s’ battery life lasts about 10 hours of 3g talk time and LTE browsing .

A saddening conclusion is that there really is not a total mind blowing experience between these iPhones and what we already have. But smartphones are not just about hardware; the user experience is also as important as security and Apple does deliver that. Combined with the new iOS 7, positive results on sales would not surprise me one bit… as well as the otherwise. 😛

There have been many reactions to Microsoft Windows 8 and most of them were unsatisfactory in several ways. With an obviously demoralized desktop market and struggling tablet sales, Microsoft has been tasked to come up with a solution to stay faithful to its numerous customers. Windows 8.1, Microsoft’s soon to be released update to the already existing Windows 8, aims to be a clear improvement over Windows 8 in virtually all aspects. It also promises to be more robust than it’s predecessor. It is not another operating system. But as you would soon see, Microsoft has come with a rather interesting solution to the mobile app hating Windows users.

Here are the some relevant changes you should take note in Windows 8.1:

1. The re-introduced Start button

Change seemed to be the central focus of Microsoft Windows 8 and as much as change is needed and inevitable in life, in technology, there is also the secondary debate of knowing what to change… and at which time. So when the native Windows Start button was gone, it was a startling surprise to many about the interface blunder and the question was whether it would be missed or not. Well, judging from the fact that the start button has been installed in Windows 8.1, should we guess it probably was?

In my opinion, it was a good thing that Microsoft reconsidered the start button. But better still, it came with a number of welcome additions which is centered around a more native “desktop-ish” experience of Windows 8. I am one of the many users who just found it rather annoying that Windows booted every time to the Metro interface while I just used the desktop mode. Anyways, you now have the option of booting to the desktop rather than the Windows 8 metro interface with the live tiles. Also, the start menu can send you to the Apps screen, which shows ALL of your installed desktop and Windows 8 apps, rather than that UI based start screen. Thumbs up for that!

2. Search everywhere

Well… what can I say? The search function in Windows has gotten broader. You can now search globally, or limit searches to files, system settings or media from the web. A global search combines your local search results with Bing results. Whether that is exciting or not only depends on you.

3. Live tile control

Remember how frustrating it was when you had a larger number of apps downloaded from Windows Store, and it ended up with you scrolling all over the place to find the app you were looking for on the metro interface? Windows 8.1 now offers a possible solution to organize your tiles by arranging them in groups. You can assign group names and re-size live tiles. I guess that makes life less stressful right?

4. Expanded Snap-in multitasking

The snap-in function of Windows 8 featured the ability to run two Windows Store apps simultaneously on the same screen by “snapping” one of them to the side to initiate a rather interesting split screen experience. You were allowed to only “snap-in” two apps, but Windows 8.1 allows 4 snap-ins. Keep it in mind though that snapping in 4 apps on the foreground drains battery life rather densely.

5. 10 now becomes 11

Sometimes, you cannot pull out the difference between a ten and eleven year old child (except for the age number) and with Internet Explorer, do not expect anything different. Although Internet Explorer 11 claims to have better stability ad faster browsing, it is most likely that it would still be the last browser you would ever open when you have sampled the likes of Firefox, Chrome and the others… or for some reason, you do not know any other browser but Internet Explorer.

6. Windows Store redesign

As if the slow paced, “developing” status of the Windows Store wasn’t an issue, it did not offer a good solution to prioritizing apps that mattered. It only featured an endless scroll of apps in small icons and some not very useful ratings and descriptions. Windows 8.1 has a redesigned Windows Store… but well… that’s pretty much just it apart from the little need for you to manually update apps to be sure you’re on the latest version.

7. Redesigned Settings App

The PC Settings facility in Windows 8.1 offers your system controls in a savvy, modern graphical interface. This matters to those who probably found the regular native Windows desktop Control Panel rather tiresome.

Windows 8.1 is pretty much nothing more than an update… not an upgrade. Microsoft hopes that Windows 8 won’t be around for long after Windows 8.1 comes out and that everyone using Windows 8 will upgrade, just as it hopes we’re all using automatic updates to keep our PCs up to date… lol!

Okay, to be honest, the title of this post really should be “why you SHOULD consider jailbreaking” because I am absolutely crazy about Apple and all of the intelligent things their devices can really do when pushed to their limit. Yes, just like you, I have been there once – stating the pessimistic cause that Apple devices are too expensive for what they are worth. But like the soon to be apostle on the road to Damascus, I have truly seen the light; and I am hoping you get to see the light too.

So enough of my fanciful rambling. Apple devices, especially the iPad series, whether you like it or not, are rather expensive. You bought it because you heard so much about it and that it could (according to that advert) “do almost anything.” But later on, you discover that it’s just a luxury toy and that you don’t do too much with it except run a few apps you bought (or got free on the Apple Store), snap photos, surf the web, play Temple Run or Candy Crush and check e-mail. The question that everyone asks is “what can your device do?” and it can be depressing when you boast of an iPad that doesn’t exactly do as much as you say.

Well, many have heard of this somewhat “evil” process called jailbreaking; and in some communities, jailbreaking is actually frowned upon – but this is usually because people do not know what it really means and the fact that jailbreaking voids your warranty with Apple. Let’s save all the technical stuff about jailbreaking for a later post and cut to the chase: jailbreaking actually allows you to do lots of stuff your iPad really could do but wasn’t allowed to (which is why it’s called “jail-break-ing”) and on this post, there are 10 reasons why you could (or should) consider jailbreaking your iPad.

Here we go 🙂

1. Variety is the spice of life

This is as the saying goes; and trust me on this. Doesn’t the grid interface of the iPad, iPhone and Ipod touch just bore you… even just for some time? Well, a jailbroken iPad is spoiled with numerous tweaks and add-ons that could possibly make all of that boredom go away. Winterboard allows you to change key features of the grid interface like its icon layout and color while maintaining its base structure. To mention how many compatible theme packs are available for Winterboard is akin to counting how many fishes there are in The Pacific. Dreamboard takes this concept several steps further by changing the entire layout. Just imagine your iPad looking like a Windows 8 desktop (without the live tiles) or like an Android Galaxy Tab! Do I have your attention now?

Tweaks such as Beekeyboard allow you to bring a whole new keyboard experience featuring customizable shortcuts and add-ons to apps. Imagine using a keyboard shortcut to open new tabs on Safari… and that is just the beginning! Colorkeyboard is another tweak that even allows you to change the layout of the virtual keyboard. Unlock the fashion sense in you with numerous color combinations of themes and color fixes out there… most for free!

2. App matters

Now, is it possible for me to have Apps for free? Well, even though we at Nijaspecs would always encourage that you support developers and buy your apps (except they are given free), it is VERY possible to have almost any app you want for free. But they MUST be cracked. Don’t worry about iTunes with installing cracked apps; there are other Apple based device managers such as iFunbox, 91 PC Suite for iPhone and iSpirit that can do that for you. It is also possible to just download the app you want and install it live from the iPad without a PC. More details about cracked apps and what to know about them will come on a later post so stay with us.

Furthermore, there is a fun tweak called Password Pilot that helps you save your Apple password so that you would not need to type it once again whenever you want to purchase an app… but be careful about how you use that though.

3. Locked out of a “luxury pad” …you paid for?

Whenever I think about a non-jailbroken iPad, I think about a house that I paid good money for and yet, I do not have the keys to all of its rooms. Having access to a mobile device’s file system is a good way to let the user become able to completely destroy the device; but it also allows you to put and organize your own files EXACTLY where you want to put them. Of course, you should be aware that you should not just go about putting files where they are not meant to be in – but you get the point. Big Boss’ unrivaled wonder jailbreak app called iFile brings to you your complete file explorer service. And when I mean complete, I mean complete: with a built in pdf reader, music player, web viewer, Bluetooth transfer service, file unzipper (including 7-Zip… yes; 7-Zip!), and support for almost every popular filetype. Are we saying that the iPad could now be used like a mobile flash drive? Well… almost a big yes!

4. Privacy issues and customizable icons

App security on the iPad? Of course! I can choose the apps I don’t want anyone to open and even disable it’s ability to be deleted; DisableLaunch makes this possible. Barrel allows the boring page swipe to become more interesting with new swipe animations. FolderEnhancer also lets you to put folders within folders and yes – add custom folder background and animations.

5. Media enhancements

Now if you are okay with the fact that you can only place videos on the iPad using iTunes and having to convert them to some weird mp4 format, skip this one. But of course you aren’t! Well, besides apps available such as AV Player and CineXPlayer on the AppStore that allow other formats, there is the infamous ProTube which even allows you to download videos directly from YouTube on demand. Be sure that the missing YouTube app in iOS 6 would not be missed! The best part is that you would also be able to manage the videos with your computer with the help of your file explorer application and iFile. Imagine the possibilities!!

6. E-Mail the way it is meant to be

Take full control of the iPad’s mail app with tweaks like SplitMail which allows the split view enabled on the iPad on portrait mode. There is also Mail Enhancer Pro which takes your native mail app to the next level with customizable signatures, mailbox color coding and believe it or not, have a voiceover that tells you who just sent you mail. But i think what’s coolest is that you are also able to backup and restore your email on Dropbox through this tweak. AnyAttach does just like it says, allows you to attach anything on your iPad as mail; just think about the possibilities with this, especially when you have iFile under your control.

7. Browser extremes: Download manager on an iPad?

Now this is the real killer. What if I told you that you could actually download your local files from anywhere just like you would on a PC and save it to an accessible point on the device? What if I told you that your Safari browser could have a file download manager and upload client? Notwithstanding, there are other browsers like Maven and Mercury which have file download services but the files you get would not be easily obtained or transferred without jailbreaking.

8. Gesture add-ons

SBSettings gives you a quick drop-down menu for a variety of system toggles such as restarting the device without the power button, airplane mode and others. It even acts a a task manager that gives you information about which apps are running so that you could free up memory – just like a task manager for windows. Activator allows you to add more gesture shortcuts on the iPad. Imagine opening your favorite app with a swipe from the extreme left, or triple click the home screen to open Maps or any other app! Emblem puts your Notification Center to mimic that of the OSX (which feels great on the iPad trust me on this), Mountain Center goes further on the OSX lane, by taking your drag from the top Notification Center to the left or the right; whichever you choose – like the OSX. The best thing about it, is you can also choose which gesture should bring it forth. NCSettings is a powerful variant of SBSettings that puts all the settings toggles on the Notification Center so brightness, Wifi, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth, Power options, portrait lock and other options are readily available. A must-have for the iPad.

9. The issue of what you want; the way you want it.

Tired of the four or five icon Dock at the base of the iPad screen? InfiniDock allows you to put as many as you like; just like OSX! IntelliScreenX supercharges your once boring lockscreen with your Notification Center information. Bridge takes care of the iTunes restriction; never again would you be forced to need iTunes to import your music, ringtones or podcasts. NoNewsIsGoodNews kills the forced and rather unnecessary Newsstand folder. Did you like the BB10 keyboard? well knock yourself out with OctopusKeyboard which brings word predictions as you type on the iPad; and if you think that is crazy, try Swipeselection which even enables you to swipe your text cursor to the exact place you need it whenever you are editing on the iPad. This may sound strange but you should try it; you would probably never go back to the default method.

10. Emulation!

Like you probably already guessed… or know, emulation is possible for the iPad also. So, if there were titles you could not just let go of back in the day, you can get them and play them on your device. From SNES, Gameboy, to even the Sega Genesis; make your favorites always available.

and now, the + 1 reason called Springtomize 2!

If there is a reason why iPads should be respected, Springtomize 2 is it. An absolute essential for jailbroken devices. From lockscreen tweaks to Notification Center customization and icon revamping, Springtomize 2 has got it all covered. The tweak will let you alter the looks of your iPad in any way you want…

…and this is how your iPad would never be the same again.

With all of these, we cannot help but ask: “what’s your conclusion; jailbreak or not jailbreak?”

And if you are just looking for that awesome, easy-to-follow guide for jailbreaking and all of these cool things, stick with our soon-coming posts on simplified Apple tips and tricks! We are sure to lead you every step of the way… 🙂

As if the war for what device dominates the 7 inch mini tab form factor was not cruel enough, technology giants Google decided to play another entry with their new Nexus 7, which became available since yesterday, July 30th.

The new Nexus 7 features a raft of improvements over last years Nexus 7; even though they practically look almost the same. First to mention would be that unlike the former Nexus 7, this one comes with the latest update of the Android OS (Jelly Bean 4.3) which of a truth is not that big of a difference really except that you can now have separate customizable spaces, including personal homescreens, wallpapers, apps and storage; which is an appealing idea. So, those whose tablets usually get in the hands of others do not have much to worry about anymore when it comes to people tampering with stuff. It features a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Processor with an Adreno 300 400Mhz, which in simpler terms means the tablet should run pretty fast. there is also 2GB of RAM, a 5MP rear facing camera, 1.2MP front facing camera, Bluetooth 4.0LE, Wireless charging and a new HDMI slim port. With all of that for just about $30 extra, it is sure that comparing sister Nexus devices would lead to some level of unfairness.

Even though the 7 inch screens of both devices are typically same, the new Nexus 7 runs at 323 PPI which is ridiculously sharper than the previous one at 216PPI. This display is one key feature that holds the retina-less iPad mini to question (well, of course until apple decides to release an iPad mini with retina display). Watching movies on the new Nexus 7 is quite commendable honestly; and your Android OS has never looked crispier on any other tablet. The speaker sound on the new Nexus 7 is also improved, and thanks to its thinner design, it even weighs lighter than the previous. With up to 9 hours of HD video playback and 10 hours of web browsing or e-reading, there’s plenty of juice to get you through the day. And very much unlike the iPad, The new Nexus’ slim and lightweight design makes playing games much less strenuous to the wrists.

A truth remains that the new Google Nexus 7 champions the small tablet market for the meantime. A downside to the device would be that there is no SD card slot but its cheaper price range and crispy sharp HD display would give anyone with an iPad mini a run for his money. Google’s second shot at the Nexus 7 isn’t very groundbreaking in terms of innovation but the price is very inviting to tablet newbies. If you owned the previous Nexus 7, then this is certainly a worthwhile upgrade.

A Chromebook is not a brand of laptops. So saying you have a laptop called “Chromebook” is not actually correct. It is a special type of personal computer concept (of a somewhat notebook form factor) which runs a Linux ported Operating System called Chrome OS by Google. So, does it run Windows… or maybe Macintosh? Nope! Its a whole new Operating System of its own; and it’s “linux-like.”

Now here comes the most important thing you need to know about Chromebooks running the Chrome OS: The Chrome OS, is specifically designed to support applications that reside on the web and this means that it is designed to be used WHILE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET! So, if you are the kind of computer user who loves to do things offline, you might want to really consider this. Almost everything operates within the web browser which looks and feels like using Google Chrome on your Windows or Mac. You might as well say it is a cheaper, savvier option for those PC users that are most interested in web activity such as email, social media, online video streaming and cloud based document editing via Google Drive.

As at now, only a handful of IT companies have taken on making Chromebooks: Google was of course the first in 2010 and then others: Samsung, Acer, HP and Lennovo joined in. Hence the specifications of each Chromebook varies in hardware, build and features. Chromebooks, are netbooks (smaller laptops designed for web use) with 11.6″ to 14″ screen size and they are thin, lightweight and easy to carry around. “Chromebox” is the desktop computer equivalent of “Chromebook.”

The Good…

The first good thing to consider about Chromebooks is that they are rather inexpensive to buy. They are also extremely mobile – beautiful looking ultra-thin computers and a much less cumbersome tool to carry around. Chrome OS is running a Linux kernel; so you would not have to worry about viruses and certain levels of security threats. They come with Solid State Drives (SSD) which make boot times super fast and application management flawless and intuitive. All Chromebooks boast of about 4 hours of battery life; which is a plus (but could be better). Don’t worry about connectivity: most Chromebooks also come with SD memory card slots for your devices, and a DisplayPort ++ which is compatible with HDMI, DVI and VGA cables. For internet, they also have WiFi a/b/g/n connectivity, Ethernet and most come with 3G. All these features make the Chromebooks your cheapest option for relative day-to-day activities such as email and web, as well as for office and business use.

The “Not so” Good…

However, it is worthy to note a couple of things you might also want to consider about Chromebooks. First off is that though they come with fast Solid State hard drive technology, they usually come in with about 16GB worth of space! The Chromebooks are expected to be used over the cloud so it is expected you would be doing much more of your saving online than anywhere else. Only the Acer C7 as at now, has a 320GB hard drive; but guess what? it is NOT Solid state. Next to also note is that they host pretty much only Google apps on it and the Chrome browser, is pretty much everything there is to it. Gmail doesn’t open a dedicated Gmail app, but rather in a new tab in the browser. It’s the same with any Chrome app, including games, with the exception of the downloads and Google Drive file browsers, which have their own windows.

ChromeOS is optimized for users who already use Google’s numerous applications. The three quick launch apps on the launchbar are the Chrome Web browser, Gmail and Google+. Within the apps drawer, the Google love continues, with YouTube, Google Calendar, Maps, Drive and more all present. Every installed application ends up in this app drawer, but the default apps are all from Google. Unlike Windows or OS X, these app icons function more like bookmarks rather than independent applications. Instead of opening new windows, each icon opens a new tab in the Chrome browser to the desired Web app. ChromeOS has an app marketplace, where users can download and install a maybe large selection of apps; but nothing really new is there that we have not seen. So, the conclusion on this is rather clear: they are rather useless offline. Did you also know that Chrome OS has NO printer drivers. Yes! None!

There is not much to say about the hardware configurations of Chromebooks. Most of them are Intel Celeron CPUs and at most, the Samsung Exynos 5 Dual. With the exception of a few, most of them run on 2GB DDR3 RAM so, we are hoping you were not even dreaming of running the likes of Call Of Duty or major PC game releases on it.

By now, you probably can picture yourself and a Chromebook by now. It’s pretty much all about the web. One could say that it is a very strong direction suggesting a possible future of computing but whether you are suited for that future depends on your needs. “Though Chrome OS has been dinged in the past for not being a “full-time OS,” Google’s “pace of improvement”…is ambitious,” says CNET reviews and you may not believe it, but currently, the demand for Chromebooks could match up with Windows 8.

Chrome and Chromium?

To set the record straight about a well known confusion, Chromium is an open source development version of Chrome and just like there is a Chrome browser and a Chrome OS, there’s the Chromium browser and Chromium OS! So here is an easy way out of this for you: “Chromium” is the cutting edge, giant testing environment designed for developers with code that is available for anyone to checkout, modify, and build. So Chromium would of course have a few more professional, developer or administrative options to it than Chrome. We would love to go into the specifics about the two but the bottom line is that apart from the consequences of developer options in Chromium, the user experience in both is practically the same! This is why Chrome OS is what you would find installed on your Chromebook – not Chromium (and that includes both the browser and the OS).

When I encountered the idea of PC gaming coming to a gaming handheld, I thought about all of the possible problems that could come up. Hardware issues would be one and software and memory space could be another. PC games are known to pack more than a punch when it comes to power hardware requirements that affect even power management. How can a handheld possibly deliver exceptional graphical textures and control all of its features in the palm of my hand? Furthermore, not just any PC game – MY PC games – without being just another PlayStation or Nintendo based handheld.

At The CES 2013, Visual computing technology giants Nvidia sought to answer that question with their PC dedicated handheld system called Nvidia Shield which, according to reports, would be available in The United States and Canada by the end of July this year after it was slated for earlier. But is it something indeed to look forward to ?

The Nvidia Shield will house a 5 inch, 720p (1280X720 @ 294ppi) multi-touch, retinal display touchscreen attached to a game controller. Honestly, it feels so much like an Xbox 360 controller (just bulkier) with an Nvidia home button and a few other design differences. The screen actually looks good till you place it side by side with a full 1080p screen though. So it should make you wonder why you would want this somewhere around your PC screen which could deliver much crispier images. Then again, having a wireless handheld that runs your PC games could prove convenient on specific occasions. It’s got Android too; so you can play tons of available games for Android from Google Play store which seems cool with the touchscreen and controller.

It will run the Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system with a custom 72-core Nvidia GeForce GPU, a 1.9GHz quad-core cortex A-15 CPU and 2Gb of RAM. So it’s clear that Nvidia did their best to pack a lot into the hardware. All of these translates to beautiful graphics that should maintain snappy movements and lag-free gameplay for PC favorites such as Borderlands 2, Batman: Arkham City, Resident Evil 6, Metro: Last Light, Dishonored and others.

As at now, not just any game can be streamed to the Nvidia Shield. Only selected games on Steam, the online multiplayer communications platform can be played via PC streaming with 802.11n-2009 2X2 MIMO wireless connectivity. This aims to provide high-bandwidth and ultra-fast wireless for seamless game streaming so, the Nvidia Shields ability to stream games live from your PC is not the possible issue to contend with. The real issue is that there are PC system hardware requirements that must be met before the device can stream from the PC. Nvidia announced these requirements to be:

GPU: GeForce GTX 650 or higher desktop GPU (Notebook GPUs are not supported at this time)

Routers: 802.11a/g router (minimum). 802.11n dual band router (recommended). A list of recommended routers will be provided at launch.

Nvidia will use the H.264 encoder built into GeForce GTX 650 or higher GPU along with special streaming software integrated into an upcoming version of GeForce Experience to stream games from the PC to the gaming handheld over the user’s home Wi-Fi network with ultra-low latency. Gamers will now be able to use the Nvidia Shield as the controller and display for their favorite PC games as well as for Steam Big Picture; enabling gamers to get a GeForce GTX PC gaming experience anywhere in their home Wi-Fi network.

Besides its wireless abilities, the Nvidia Shield will feature mini-HDMI output port, micro-USB 2.0, a MicroSD storage slot and a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with microphone support. It will also have 16Gb internal flash memory, a 3-Axis gyroscope and accelerometer. It boasts of a rather good battery life lasting for about 20 hours while streaming.

As a gaming handheld with such abilities, do not expect the game to come for cheap (it’s announced to be at $349) so low end PC users who have not yet met (and don’t exactly plan to meet) the PC system requirements would be buying an Android device with an Xbox lookalike controller for quite a lot of money. Surely, mobility does come with a price but playing the games only in one’s house or around it using a wifi connection is not really the idea of mobility to many. The Nvidia Shield is indeed a daring new entry on a new field and we are more than excited to see how this entry influences technology today.

This is really no joke. There is now a full blown Microsoft Office App for the iOS. The rumors have finally ended – it exists. Now where do we go from here? Yes! As you probably guessed – back to the apps you were using earlier to run your document creation / editing needs.

It looked promising to us at first (to be honest). No one could help but wonder how Microsoft was planning to place the Office on the iPad. After all, the app would have to impress a lot more than the forefront document editing apps such as Google Drive, Documents-To-Go and Quickoffice as well as a host of others. With the numerous sync properties these apps have over cloud services, and various desktop experience offline features, we were hoping to have the Redmond software giants deliver something, maybe not above and beyond what we have seen, but something different anyway.

Well at least we did get something different. The problem of course, is what we got.

First and most important to mention is the fact that to use it, you need a paid Office 365 subscription. This is the “ah-hah!” light bulb moment: there had to be a catch about why Microsoft would go ahead to make Office available on “enemy territory.” Then again, that also tells you how serious Microsoft is about making bucks out of every single opportunity available. Now, before you Office 365 subscribers get on to get the app, you might also want to know that it is currently restricted to the United States (although there are ways around that), and annoyingly, there is not yet a version for the iPad. In plain English, the app is designed for paid Office 360 users in The United States who have an iPhone. So don’t let the free Microsoft Office app on Apple Store fool you if you do not meet up to these requirements.

There are a number of things one would wonder about concerning this and we would leave you with one. The only thing Microsoft could possibly boast of, in our opinion, is that “Documents look like the originals, thanks to support for charts, animations, SmartArt graphics and shapes. When you make quick edits or add comments to a document, the formatting and content remain intact.” But free cloud based office apps like Google Drive already allow you to access and create documents, presentations and spreadsheets in Microsoft Office format. Even paid for offline apps such as Documents-To-Go and Quickoffice even have several cloud based service sync abilities with the likes of Evernote, Dropbox, SugarSync and others.